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Auto alternatives for the 21st centuryFri, 09 Dec 2016 14:15:34 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.4Street-Legal 118 MPG Ford That Beats A Ferrari Enzo Shown At Goodwoodhttp://www.hybridcars.com/street-legal-118-mpg-ford-racer-tops-ferrari-enzo-at-nurburgring/
http://www.hybridcars.com/street-legal-118-mpg-ford-racer-tops-ferrari-enzo-at-nurburgring/#commentsWed, 17 Jul 2013 21:18:54 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=61876If you were an automaker, how would you gain attention for your pipsqueak but potent 1.0-liter three cylinder engine primarily intended for mundane and economical duty in family cars? Why not bolt it into a street-legal Formula Ford Chassis, and use it to beat a Ferrari Enzo’s time around a lap of the Nurbugring’s northern […]

]]>If you were an automaker, how would you gain attention for your pipsqueak but potent 1.0-liter three cylinder engine primarily intended for mundane and economical duty in family cars?

Why not bolt it into a street-legal Formula Ford Chassis, and use it to beat a Ferrari Enzo’s time around a lap of the Nurbugring’s northern circuit?

Actually, that’s exactly what Ford engineers did in building the one-off 118 mpg, 1,100-pound car that did the lap in a time of 7:22 when tuned to 200 horsepower.

Last weekend the car did a demonstration run at the 20th Goodwood Festival of Speed, in Brentwood, Essex, UK, and the video that follows gives the car’s details.

In brief, the open-wheel racer’s performance is so stellar because it follows the classic tuner’s formula of light weight, and relatively high power in a proven chassis.

Performance is said to be 0-60 in under four seconds, and that alleged 118 mpg – well, it may have been on a more liberal test cycle for one, and more importantly, it only comes when you don’t have your foot in it – which kind of defeats the purpose for driving enthusiasts, but it does make a point, and being road legal, it does get drivers imagining nonetheless.